Who'd Want to do That Anyway?
by FanRan
Summary: Something tragic has happened in the z fighter's lives to have had them all estranged from Goku, but what could a universal hero have done to have his oldest and closest friends wish for him to be removed from their lives?
1. Musings

**Disclaimer: I do not own DB/Z/GT, but I think we're all aware of that.**

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_Age 806_

_8:44 p.m._

You know, I can't help but wonder when it was that my life has gotten so lousy that I've resorted to writing out my problems on a piece of paper. Wonder why the thought of actually writing on this sheet made me so comfortable.

Oh. That's right. Makes me feel as though I'm not really speaking to myself anymore.

See, here, I feel as though I have to explain shit as it actually happened, so that you're able to keep up, rather than just bumping through the thoughts in my head.

I guess that's why so many people keep diaries, huh? You're not really sorting out your mind for anyone else, but truly for yourself. If I were to fill all these pages, would I be able to read back through them and figure something out about myself that I can't seem to now? Or would I just be able to figure myself out.

If I could then I'd be the first. No one else seems to understand what my 'deal' is. They think they do, you can tell just from the way they speak to and about me. Heads turned up as if just the thought of having to admit any type of past association with me is scoff worthy.

Ah, I'm jumping ahead without really telling you what I'm talking about huh? Or what my problems that I've mentioned earlier even are. I honestly don't want to either.

Today is Trunks' birthday, turning 40 years old. Trunks. Bulma's little lilac haired kid whose future version of himself that I met after coming back from Yardrat all those years ago. FOURTY. It's surreal how much time has passed. Anyway today is his birthday and he's celebrating over at Capsule Corp with Bulma, Vegeta, Bra, Goten, Gohan, Chi-Chi, Videl, Pan, Krillin, Marron, Android 18, Yamcha, Puar, Oolong, and Roshi, and even a surprise appearance from Tien and Chaoutzu.

I was kind of surprised they'd even be there, you know as a group celebrating and what not considering everyone's age difference and interests. The latter being the reason I didn't show up. Ha who am I kidding, I wasn't even invited.

Nothing is the same anymore, and it really could not go back to being the way it was all those years ago. Hell everything changed the day grandpa Gohan was killed by my damn Saiyan genes. I had to survive on my own, with no one to even communicate with except the damn forest creatures around me, kind of like now except I'm inside a rundown apartment in the middle of South City. I remember telling Bulma how she was my first friend, aside from the rocks, pretty pitiful now that i think about it.

Bulma.

She came and pretty much showed me the world,which consisted more of dragging me around as her body guard more than actually helping me learning from it. I was as naïve as ever and for the genius she claimed to be, she could never answer simple questions, like, oh I don't know, the difference between a man and a woman. She might have thought I was a complete fucking dumbass for not knowing, but I literally did not know or _understand_. Up until she came around I'd only ever seen one other human. My grandpa. Who had been dead for a long ass time. I mean I was 12 when she found me. Grandpa and I didn't sit around discussing shit like genitals when I was 5 you know? and despite me telling her how i'd been on my own she still expected me to know things that everyone _else_ knew.

For someone as unique as her she kind of had certain expectations from people, which probably still carries on until today, actually, scratch that, i know she does, it's one of the reasons i'm in the situation i'm in now. Fucking ridiculous.

Heh. Sorry for all the cursing, I've been nursing a bottle of Stagg whiskey for the past hour, and it's effects are finally kicking into gear in this ol' Saiyan body of mine.

Anyway. As I was saying. So instead of teaching my about what my simple mind should have already known from the womb like she apparently did, she reprimanded me for it. Just like everyone else always has. I mean fuck, when people go to school, do teachers and professors yell and curse them out for not knowing what for them is a simple concept? Granted, Bulma isn't a teacher, along with any of my past friends, but when you want someone to know something you tell them. Don't get mad at them for not understanding something you NOW do.

I lived on my own for around 6 to 7 years, those vital years in a kids life. Its sort of left an impression on me. I remember a couple of people talking to me about the psychological problems my kids developed over the years due to me not being there enough for them when they were growing. I wonder if they ever thought about the ones I developed.

I'd ask how does it feel to explain to someone that they're not at ALL who they thought they were his entire life, in fact, he's naturally one of the things he fears the most...but Raditz seemed to have a good time doing it so i'm guessing it wouldn't be that big of a deal. Shit my whole life was turned upside down, for about the 20th time throughout my life that day, but that was the considerably the most monumental. With it came the reason I was so lonely in that forest. The reason that when I woke up from my Oozaru state the next morning and found my grandfathers flattened remains with his blood still covering part of my body, yet none of my own, that i couldn't live with the truth. That my mind needed to remain in a state that wouldn't allow me to feel any pain. Because I knew the truth, and my mind _snapped_. Despite me not wanting to ever, _ever _that man, I did. I knew it, and I forced myself to not believe it. I buried his remains with what my 5 year old hands could handle and slowly walked back to that dark little hut. I got out one of the few remaining gi's grandpa had made for me and set out to one of the nearby rivers to wash off his life source.

For a fleeting second I wondered if I should even bother washing it off. It was all I had left of him. Unless i dug out his deteriorating flesh and remaining bones out of that make shift grave and brought it back to the house...but grandpa wouldn't like that, it'd make a mess, even if he was the reason for it.

Then my mind seemed to snap back and go about just thinking of taking a bath as I usually did, for the usual reasons. Getting rid of nothing but the grime built up from training and running around, not what once allowed your grandpa to hold you while he told you stories.

As I dipped my feet into that flowing river i remember thinking about how cold it was. How much firewood grandp-

Thats right.

How much firewood _I _would need.

The dirt should keep grandpa's body warm enough..right?

I ran back as fast as I could to that grave. Dug out his even less recognizable remains from all the soil that penetrated the exposed inner flesh of his body. Made the hole he was in as deep as possible while still allowing me to climb out. It was dark when i'd finished.

I placed him back in along with a bunch of rocks and leaves to cover his body in case it rained and exposed anything of his. Then I started piling on the soil. I patted it flat enough to not be recognizable and went back to the river to get the dirt off of my body, thanking the earth for covering up the blood that had once been visible on me. I walked back home and laid down on the futon me and grandpa slept on and just..laid there.

The thought that he would get out of that hole during a rainstorm terrified me. I couldn't stop thinking about that. It was dark, and grandpa hadn't tught me how to make fires yet. I wasn't ready he'd told me, I could burn the house down. Besides I didn't need to yet since he was always around.

Well grandpa, you were around alright, but not how I need you. And I could really have used those lessons, it was too dark there Grandpa, and too cold. Always too dark and too cold. I would rather spend all my time outside, but going outside at night is what led me to hurt my grandpa in the first place. I was trapped in a never ending nightmare. Anywhere I went i'd be haunted by the truth.

The only solace I had was grandpa's four star dragonball to keep me company.

That night was the first time I started speaking to it, "You'll keep me safe no matter what, right grandpa?"

I wasn't speaking to the ball, but when I had said that I could have sworn I felt a warmness from it. I felt it was grandpa replying back.

I didn't feel alone anymore.

I had someone to talk to again.

Things were gonna be okay.

Except they weren't.

Damn all this thinking and writing is definitely now what I'm in the mood for right now. You know what? I think I will drop by that party, shock them all with my still living corpse, since despite me being able to breath; I might as well be dead to them. Wonder what they'll say after all these years. Probably something along the lines of how I independently ruined each of their lives.

Oh well i'd rather argue with them than take another minute in here.

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Hey guys! This is my first attempt at writing and would love to get your reactions. As much time as I spend reading fanfic's I wanted to try out actually developing it.


	2. Oh Gods

As he laid the pen he was using down on the paper he was previously writing on, Goku's chair made a rather loud scraping sound across the tile floor as he pushed it back. He stood up with a groan, heavily feeling the effects of the alcohol he was drinking. He frowns as the bitter taste on his palette and sudden vertigo bring with them the usual depressive thoughts.

'_Damn, I shouldn't have so much to drink…but then again, how else would I be able to forget. Sleeping is worse than actually living through this day to day shit, seeing as I become plagued with nightmares I believe to be real till I wake up screaming my throat raw.'_

He shakes his head to try and clear away the oncoming bad mood, and ironically it works since now his focus is on not falling back into his chair. Waiting a few minutes to get his senses into motion again, he looks around his small studio apartment in search of his black leather jacket, hoping that it still had his keys in the inner pocket.

'_Shit, times like these I definitely miss Chi-Chi. Can't say much about her now but she did know how to be a good housewife, could use some of that skill right now. Where the fuc- oh. Under the couch. Of course._'

Pulling his jacket out from under the couch, he checks the pockets for his keys, pleased to find they're there.

'_Thank God. Tired of breaking into my own place._'

He struggles to put his jacket on, confusing the left sleeve for the right one. Frustrated he violently removes it and slams it on his couch, only to repeat the process. Finally, after a few minutes he manages to get his jacket on, and stumbles towards his kitchenette. Turning on the faucet on his sink, he lowers his upper body down so that his face aligned with the running water, allowing Goku to drink directly from the tap.

'_Ah, that's better, _think_ I can function a little better now.'_

Walking a little more coherently over to his front door, he finds his black leather ankle boots conveniently arranged next to it. Placing them on, he walks over to the mirror hanging from the wall beside the door and stares at his reflection.

'_Hm. Not bad. Lost some of my color due to usually only coming out at night, but at least the muscle mass is still decent. Feh, my whole life I've been beating up dumbasses for a living, at least now I'm getting paid for it.'_

For the past couple of years Goku has been working at different club and strip bars as a bouncer in order to make enough income to support himself and his lifestyle, which majorly consists of paying rent, buying food, cigarettes and alcohol, and transportation. Since he works a little far off from his jobs he decided to buy a car in order to get from to and fro so that he doesn't have to depend on his flying or instant transmission to get him from place to place, especially when in a large crowd of people.

The first day on his job as a bouncer working at Wicked night club four years ago had been terrible. He'd been in the back near the VIP area's keeping as much of an eye on the crowd as he could, considering he'd been sneaking drinks all night. He was well into the third of his six hour shift when the low lighting, pounding music, and intoxicating heat and scents from the people around him started to affect his sensibility. He didn't want to just be standing at the back of the club, leaning against a wall, and rooted to the floor just waiting for something to happen, when to him everything already was, well anything that mattered. Men and women were both hot and sweaty, grinding sensually against each other in time to the base in the song playing. His ability to sense ki was allowing Goku to feel the adrenaline and arousal in the individuals around him, spurring his on as well. He wanted to be part of the fray and get his body moving as well. To be able to have a moment of connection between himself and a random stranger, sharing provocative touches disguised as dancing, with the thrill of knowing he was increasingly enticing the person he was with.

As he searched the crowd he spotted an attractive red headed woman with striking clear gray eyes staring back into his own eyes from a few yards away. She had her back pressed up against a handsome brunette that currently had his hands placed on her hips as she grinded onto his groin. As she watched Goku intently trace her shapely figure. Clad in a slate colored skin tight dress, the red head had left her legs exposed, their length enhanced by the dark pewter heels she wore to match her dress. His gaze rose back up from her legs to the hands on her hips, something carnal in him wanting to rip the offensive appendages off so that he could be the one touching the beauty he was watching instead. He ignored the thought and raised his gaze up to her waist, which fell directly below her generous bust, which immediately caught his attention, seeing as her cleavage was in clear view for his eyes.

'_They should be for my eyes alone.' _Were the thoughts encompassing his alcohol riddled mind.

His gaze moved from her rising and falling chest up to her collar bones, entertaining the thought of what it would be like to lick between them. He watched as her head fell back onto the shoulder of the young man she was dancing with, noticing how long and slender it was. He growled low in his throat, wanting to feel the pulse he knew was beating against the skin found there if he were to kiss down her neck. He noticed her head turn as she whispered something into the ear of the young man with her sexy lips curling up into a smirk as she watched her dance partner lick his lips and smile as he leaned down to kiss her.

This time the growl in Goku's throat was much louder as he made his way over to the couple.

'_There's no way that look we shared before was just a passing glance. She's playing a game, testing me to see If I'd come to her or not. Well I'm more than coming to her, I'm coming FOR her, I need to feel that body beneath mine.'_

Just as she looked back over to him with a knowing look in her eyes that spoke volumes of what she had in mind, his manager at the time, Julian stopped him.

"'Ey, Goku! We got VVIP's coming in in a few, make your way over to the lounge in the back." Shouted the manager over the loud music as he approached Goku.

Goku stared at the tall, tan, black haired man in front of him, dressed in an informal black suit consisting of a fitted shirt with the top button undone, black skinny dress pants, a black blazer and leather shoes, shouted some crap about VP's or something at him while he turned back at the red head who was now chuckling at him. He watched as she grabbed her dance partners hand and dragged him away towards the club's exit.

"Hello, Goku! What the fuck man, I just asked you to get to work. We got some very, _very_ important people making their way towards the lounge right now and we need you there a.s.a.p. so stop dicking around. It's your first night, this is usually around the time you'd wanna try to impress me if you want to continue working here." Said a now irritated Julian.

'_This new Goku guy is just standing there staring at the crowd with this doped up look on his face. Probably trippin' off some shit. Damn. I'd fire him now but from what he showed me he could do with that strength of his we need guys like him for all the high rollers that come through here needing to ward off the gold diggers and more importantly the guys that have a score to settle. Fuck.' _Sighing he attempted to get through to Goku once again.

"Goku. Are you here man?"

"Hm. Yeah, yeah. Something about lounging with the VPs" replied an annoyed Goku.

"Uh, NO. Listen to what I'm saying because I'm not going to bother repeating it again." Fumed Julian. '_Worse comes to worse, I'll let him work tonight and hire someone else by tomorrow night_. _God knows how many applicants we get a day, should be easy….but his type would be difficult to replace. No one has shown his strength before, taking out 10 of my strongest out at once! I almost didn't even see his fists or legs move, it was incredible! Ugh, we need him. But he's in definite need of some training. Whatever, we'll work through it.' _With that thought in mind, Julian replied a bit more calmly, "We have some very important guests here tonight Goku, they should be in the lounge by now, Trunks Briefs and his entourage—"

"Excuse me, Trunks who now?" interrupted Goku, suddenly looking panicked.

"Uh, Trunks Briefs, tell me you know who that is. From the way you're dressed here tonight I know you haven't been living under a rock, you seem up to date on todays trends, Briefs being one of them Goku." answered Julian with a frown on his face as he stared at Goku's attire which consisted of dark washed straight legged, denim jeans, black leather shoes, and navy dress shirt with the top button undone and the cuffs rolled up.

"Yeah I'm aware of whom he is…" replied Goku slowly as worries consumed his thoughts. '_Damn it, I don't need this right now. This is exactly why I chose to work at South City! From what I remember, Trunks hated spending time around here, he always stuck to West City as well as Satan City. Fuck! I can feel his ki, and Goten is with him too? With all the BS that's spurred up I wouldn't be surprised if he tries to blow this place up as soon as he sees me. People will get hurt. Damn it, that's it, I'm getting the fuck outta here.'_

"Okay, good, good, so then if you wouldn't mind Goku, would you get your ass to the lounge now?" yelled Julian as he lost his patience. '_He's been staring at the ground frowning as if I just told him his pet died or some shit!' _

"Goku—" but before Julian could finish Goku looked up at him, placed his index and middle fingers together as if he were about to salute a sergeant and placed them on his forehead.

"Sorry Julian, but I gotta go—FUCK!" suddenly screamed Goku, sensing Trunk's ki moving out of the lounge towards him and Julian. '_Why the hell is he moving out of the lounge? They get everything they want sent to them directly, what the fuck does he need over here? Shiiiiit, probably looking for security to block off any intruders, security being me, who happens to be standing right here. ' _thought Goku. '_I can't even instant transmission myself out of here because all the ki's I could IT to are of people who currently hate me!'_

Julian, who at this point could only stare wide eyed at Goku as he himself was wide eyed and horror stricken, suddenly turn to him and grab his shoulders, scaring the manager half to death with how intense his gaze became.

"Julian," started Goku, "I need to know, how often does Briefs show up at this club, and quickly, answer me, it is imperative that I know!" and to reinforce his statement he gave Julian's shoulders a small shake.

"Uh-uh-um," struggling to piece together Goku's questions Julian starts breaking out in a sweat from the sudden fear he's experiencing from the force of Goku's hands at his shoulders. A sudden shake breaks him out of his stupor and he replies with, "About once a week, we never really know when to expect him though."

"In that case," replies Goku as he lets go of Julian and takes a step back, "I quit, I refuse to have to wonder if he'll be coming here every time I'm trying to work. Forget my name or that you ever saw me, please. You'll be better off not mentioning me to Briefs if he asks you for a bouncer, got it?" He took a menacing step forward to get his point across to Julian who meekly nodded his head yes, figuring he had more to lose than gain if he told Trunks that his bouncer Goku refused to work anymore when he found out he was here. With that Goku ran out the door, just as Trunks finally made his way past the dancers over to Julian while trying to blend in with the crowd as to not draw attention.

"Hey, Julian, "leaned in Trunks closer to Julian just as the music rose in volume, drowning out his voice," I need a bouncer near the lounge, what's up man? You usually take care of us pretty decently, your work cut out for you tonight or something?" asked a peeved Trunks.

"Oh! , excuse my behavior this evening, we seemed to have a power that's just been taken care of, please, allow me to…" continued Julian as he and Trunks made their way back to the lounge area and grabbed two bouncers on the way.

Goku himself was already outside, and walking as fast as possible towards the train station, hoping to get a quick ride to his side of town. '_If I raise my ki to fly the boys will feel my energy close to them and might want to start something out here, looks like I'll either have to invest in public transportation or get a car so that I won't have to worry about raising my ki anymore. I'll go for the latter.'_ Decided Goku.

Four years and about twenty cars later, he was wondering if he made the right choice. Drinking and driving caused him too many car accidents, but the risk of passing out in a train where anyone can come up and steal from him while he was unaware was not something he wanted to go through again, so he opted for the cars.

Giving himself a final once over in his mirror, making sure his black jeans and white v-neck shirt were indeed clean, Goku stepped out of his apartment and locked the door behind him. His apartment was on the third floor on one of the poorest areas in the city. His current bouncer job happened to be at a strip bar and didn't pay as well as his previous jobs, but he took what he could, as long as it allowed him a place to live, and food to eat. He didn't care much about where he lived as long as he could sleep on a warm bed at night. He would have preferred to live in a forest similar to the one he grew up in, but it now brought rather painful memories that he wanted to refrain from. The dirty streets of the city offered that for him.

Making his way outside, Goku uncapsuled his car, which although he didn't associate himself with her anymore, had to give Bulma and her family props for for creating something so useful, especially when there were so many thieves around. '_It's a good thing I don't keep anything special in my apartment besides a bed, fridge and microwave then, huh?_' he mused.

As he got inside and drove himself towards West City he had to pause and wonder what he was thinking going over there.

'_I haven't spoken with them in 5 years. Granted I've gone by double that having done the exact same thing, but this time, they don't want to talk to me. And all over some utter bull shit, it's insane! We've been through so much together, and it's all thrown away because Chi-Chi and I were getting a divorce? PLEASE! If it was that easy for them to hate me all of a sudden, then that means they never cared as deeply as I thought. So why the hell am I going back?'_

As he focused his attention back on the road he realized he wasn't in his city anymore, but rather close to West City, just on the outskirts of it. '_Pretty deserted around here.'_ He observed. All around for miles all that could be seen were various shrubs and dirt paths. As he was staring out of his driver's window he suddenly saw a flash of yellow. '_What the..._' he frowned.

Out of the blue he sees a yellow pod. A yellow pod with a long lavender haired man inside. Who happened to be slumped over the control panel of the contraption, allowing one to see the sword that was strapped to his back. The men abruptly shot up and looked all around, his eyes finally landing on Goku who had stopped the car and gotten out when he had seen the first flash of yellow.

'_Either this alcohol is affecting me worse than I could have thought possible, or that's Mirai Trunks.'_ thought Goku. '_He's suppressing his ki, so I can't tell.'_

The man inside the pod slowly raised his hand and pressed a button on the panels, activating the hatch on the pod to release him. As the air that was providing him with oxygen escaped with a hiss and the pods top finally opened, the lavender haired man stood up. Goku noticed he was wearing a black wife beater, gray gi pants and black boots similar to the styles Mirai Trunks had worn when he came to warn them about the androids forty-three years ago, minus the Capsule Corp branded jacket and short hair.

With his eyes set on Goku, the man climbed out of the pod and walked over to him. Clearing his throat he asked, "You..You're..You're Goku, aren't you?" staring back and forth between Goku's eyes as if searching for the truth to his statement without having to wait for a reply.

Goku gawked at the sight of the man before him, _'Blue eyes clear as the day…Gods, he looks so much like, yet so different from this dimension's Trunks…he looks troubled somehow.' He realized._

"Yes, I'm Goku..you must be Mirai Trunks, am I correct?" asked Goku tentatively.

At hearing the man in front of him affirm his inquiry, Mirai Trunks nodded his head as he fell to his knees and began to sob.


	3. Come On, Lets Go

Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own anything DB/Z/GT related

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Alarmed, Goku watches as Mirai Trunks struggles to hold back his cries of anguish, using both of his hands to muffle the sound as well as dispel attention from the tears running down his cheeks.

"T-Trunks?" Apprehensively, Goku takes a step forward, reaching out towards the man before him.

Hearing his name being called out by one of the few people he has ever allowed himself to trust throughout his troublesome life causes Trunks to fall deeper into his despair. Seeing His shoulders start to shake harder and harder with each passing moment throws Goku into panic, all traces of alcohol seem to have evaporated from his system, being able to focus his mind on trying to attend to his old friend.

"Trunks," begins Goku, crouching down to Trunks' level and setting his hands on his shoulders, "TRUNKS! You need to calm down. You're going to start hyperventilating soon; you're not getting enough air into your lungs. Breathe Trunks. Please, just try to think on breathing right now."

Goku begins to rub up and down Trunks arms, inadvertently realizing that Mirai had broken out in sweat from the effort he was putting into trying to calm himself. In an attempt to comfort him Goku kneels s well and moves his hands towards the ones still covering Trunks' face. Taking Trunks hands into his own, Goku gently moves them out of the way and brings Trunks into his arms, cradling his head on the crook of his shoulder.

Not fully aware of what has taken place during the last few moments, Trunks feels Goku's warm body surrounding him, and despite the heat his body is exerting as proof of his flushed cheeks, he embraces Goku's torso until both his hands are able to touch the sides of Goku's rib cage. He presses his face into Goku's shoulder, muffling his cries on the black leather jacket. He feels Goku begin to rock their bodies back and forth while he runs his fingers through his hair and mutters words of encouragement into his ear.

"It's alright Trunks, let it all out. Just don't pass out on me, okay? I'm right here for you, whatever you need. I haven't seen you in a long time, but the differences sure are noticeable. You're much stronger now, even though you're suppressing your ki I can feel its depth has stretched farther." Spoke Goku as calmly as possible.

After a couple of minutes Trunks' breathing evens out. Sniffling, he gives one final squeeze to Goku and pulls back from his body, allowing himself enough room to still hold him, but now able to make eye contact. Taking in a heavy breath and releasing it slowly Trunks stares down at the ground between them before looking back up into Goku's eyes.

"Goku," voice raspier than what Goku was accustomed to hearing from Trunks, unable to tell if it was due to his crying or the age difference from when he last saw him. '_Probably both_' he muses as he watches Trunks clear his throat and attempt his name again, in a clearer tone of voice, though still holding its husky nature, "Goku…"

"Trunks…are you feeling better now?" asked Goku concerned. Aside from his eyes being glossy from the crying he just did, Trunks eyes appeared to be haunted, much more so than when he was relaying the information about the destruction the androids had caused during his future timeline to Goku.

"Y-yes. Goku…thank you for allowing me time to get that out. I..." Suddenly Trunks looked at Goku with a perplexed expression on his face. "Wait. What the—Goku! You're alive!"

Eyes widening at both the statement and the shock in Trunks voice, Goku slowly replies, "Uh, yeah. I'm kind of starting to get the hang of it…"

Laughing Trunks reaches up and grabs Goku's shoulders, "Haha! Goku! You don't understand, last time I was here you were dead! You told us you didn't want to come back to life and risk more threats to the Earth with you being the target on so many people's hit list. Back on the lookout, remember?" At seeing Goku nod, Trunks continues, "Did you change your mind? I came back a couple of months after that to fight in the Interstellar Martial Arts Tournament with Gohan, Piccolo, Tien, krillin and Yamcha while my mom and your wife were watching with this timeline's version of me. While the fights were underway some dickhead named Bojack and his cronies decided to attack. You missed one major fight between your son and Bojack, his power rivaled Cells' and Gohan was able to take him down like it was nothing once he ascended! Man! Speaking of Gohan his strength must be enormous by now, right?"

Throughout Trunks' whole reminiscence, Goku watched as the mournful look dissolved from his face as it was replaced with one of glee and excitement. Wanting to keep Trunks mood up, Goku did not know how to answer Trunks question. '_As much as I've changed over the years, I refuse to lie to a good friend. Especially when right now he's one of the only ones I have. Telling him everything will bring up a lot of ugly memories, which might bring him down, and would for sure have me feeling like shit…but if it'll get his mind off of whatever made him break down like that…I'll keep him distracted for a bit. If the Earth was in immediate danger he'd have told me by now instead of segueing like that.'_

Looking away from Trunks expectant face Goku lets out a sigh. Bringing his right arm from around Trunks to brush through his ever prominent disarray of spikes, he looks back into Trunks eyes. "Well," he starts, "Speaking of that Bojack fight, I was actually able to watch it from Otherworld."

Eyes growing wide, Trunks asks, "Really? That's great! I didn't know you could watch the Earth from Otherworld."

"Yeah. Honestly, I don't think I should have been able to either. I had asked King Kai, you know the overseer of the North Galaxy? If he could check out what was going on with my family back here. He told me how you guys were getting ready to enter the tournament so I had to beg him to find me a way to let me see it. Since he's a God of sorts he has all these crazy abilities and what not, one of them being able to communicate telepathically through dimensions, such as the mortal realm. When you grab on to his shoulder and he's making a telepathic connection to reach someone in this dimension, it allows you to speak in the same manner, that's what allowed all you guys at the lookout to hear me say I wasn't coming back after the battle with Cell. Anyway, he was able to get some old funky t.v. that plays live feed from the Earth all the way through to Otherworld and was able to see you guys dish it out." As finished answering Trunks, Goku realized that they were still kneeling on the ground. "Haha, Trunks, no offense, but do you mind discussing this in my car? This ground isn't exactly a Tempur-Pedic mattress, you know?" He says as he moves his left arm around to grab onto Trunks elbow to help him up as they both stand.

Taking notice of their surroundings, Trunks lets out a small chuckle. "Yeah sure, let me just encapsulate the time machine." He says as he walks over to the pod. Placing a hand inside his gray pants, Trunks pulls out a case containing various capsules. Levitating himself up within arm's reach of the control pad within the time machine, he presses a small button that allows the pod to encapsule itself. Once the pod is stored within the capsule he places it inside the case and moves to the ground. Walking over to Goku he gives a half smile and says "Alright, let's go. By the way, I couldn't imagine you as a driver...or wearing leather for that matter," he softly laughs. "Looks good though, reminds me I need to get a new jacket of my own."

Goku smiles in return as they make their way over to the car. "Yeah, there've been a couple of changes since you've last been here. You hungry? I'll tell you about it on the way to dinner, I know of a pretty good Latin food restaurant that's popped up a few miles from here recently. If you're not into that, there's other places that serve up good food, just not in as much quantity as this place—heh they've already gotten used to the amount of food I order so it's convenient." He says as he and Mirai open the doors to the side of their seats and get inside.

As he buckles on his seatbelt Trunks looks around the car before stating, "Is this one of mom's models? And I have no problem with Latin food, sounds great."

Buckling in himself, Goku cringes at Trunks' question about the car's origin. '_Damn! I wonder how he'll react to everything that's happened between Bulma and I…between me and everyone…he really has missed out on a lot, so much has happened in…let's see…THIRTY-NINE YEARS!, Man oh man, Trunks, how old are you now? If you came into the past from your future you're definitely older than Trunks, but by how many years? And if you're that old than Bulma's gotta be gone in your timeline…Gods, is that why you came here? If he see's everyone here he might freak out…'_

Six and a half years ago, right before the whole mess started Chi-Chi was worrying about her appearance more than ever. Having such a young looking husband while she herself started resembling someone that would be his grandmother was not something she looked forward to experiencing each time she looked in the mirror. She pleaded with Goku to get her the Namekian dragon balls to see if he could give her back the body she had before she was pregnant with Goten. Goku refused however, and reasonably so considering the fiasco they had just dealt with with Omega Shenron all due to their irresponsible wish making. It seemed like her hopes were squashed until she complained to Bulma, who herself was experiencing much of the same feelings as Chi-Chi, the only difference being that her appearance and relationship with Vegeta was constantly in the public eye. They were beginning to call her a cougar.

So between the two women they managed to convince Yamcha, Roshi, Oolong and Puar to go make the wish for them, while saying it was for the benefit of their families to have them full of vigor once again.

'_Trunks might think he's back in the wrong timeline…ah well, I guess we'll get to that soon enough.'_ Thought Goku as he started the car. Not wanting Trunks to have to ask his question again to make sure Goku heard it, Goku chuckled and replied, "Actually, no. Im pretty sure it's one of yours."

Trunks whipped his head back around from the back seat he was looking at and stared at Goku with a bewildered expression. "Me? I've never designed a—Oh! You mean this timeline's me! Wow so he works alongside mom?" he asked surprised.

"Yeah…didn't you back in your timeline?" wondered Goku.

Suddenly Trunks casts his eyes away from Goku, looking solemn. "That was one of the numerous problem back in my time…"

* * *

A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for not updating sooner, I had written this chapter on a whim a couple of days ago and forgot to update. Finals week is coming up so i've been swamped with work. I'm not too happy with this chapter, but I believe the next ones will be better, it will explain what happened with either Trunks or Goku, and what it means for both their lives. Let me know what you guys think so far! I'm trying to improve my writing, i'm better at writing papers than stories lol


	4. Where Do We Go From Here?

Disclaimer: Don't own DB/Z/GT in any way, shape or form… except for this fan written work

Both Trunks and Goku settled into a steady silence after Trunks remark, an almost unspoken agreement between them to discuss the matter later on, likely during their dinner. Pulling up to the restaurant, each gets out of the car and proceeds to make their way inside.

"Smells great," claims Trunks, "I can't wait to order. Speaking of which, are they fine with large orders here?"

"Uh, actually, I've never ordered any large quantities of food from here, so I'm not sure. Whenever I did eat here it was on a whim with a friend or two I might have met for some drinks." Chuckled Goku , "It's pretty casual as you can tell, so I'm sure they'd be fine making a couple dozen plates."

'_Man, thinking about it, I haven't eaten like that since living at h—with Chi-Chi.' _Thought Goku, preventing himself from calling Mount Paozu his home.

Placing their orders as a waiter came to greet them, Trunks nervously turned to Goku. "You drink?" questioned a bewildered Trunks. '_Whoa, I feel like I'm some sort of fucked up timeline. Even though I'm pretty calm right now, something feels wrong. Goku has definitely changed, and I can't tell if it's a good or bad thing. So far his personality seems the same as before though…_'

"Yeah, well, when you start spending the majority of your time around people who make a night out of it, you catch on quickly. I never knew I liked alcohol till I was drunk out of my mind one night." Chuckled Goku. Seeing Trunks expression turn into greater shock, he decided to limit the information he was ready to share with Trunks, at least for now. '_He's eventually going to back to Capsule Corp anyway to meet with everyone else. If he's going to find out anything about me, it's going to come straight from the horses mouth, even if it ends up putting us on bad terms_.'

Not ready to delve into a conversation involving Goku's lack of sobriety, Trunks attempts to change the conversation. "So, uh, Goku, I hope you're not too uncomfortable with me bringing this up, but I can sense the energy of everyone gathered at Capsule Corp. Why aren't you there with them?"

Sighing, Goku takes a few minutes to answer, during which time the first courses of their meals were delivered, providing a welcome distraction for him to decide on which answer to give. '_Might as well tell him now. I wanted to wait because I don't know how he's going to react to all of this, but I don't want us to have a good time now, only to find out he should hate me later_.'

Taking a break from his meal, Goku takes a breath before beginning. "Well, today is Trunks' birth—wait, Trunks! Today is your birthday!" he exclaims, almost jumping out of his seat.

"Oh, uh, yeah… " mutters Trunks, a fallen expression suddenly overtaking his features.

"I'm sorry, I—"

"It's okay Goku. My life isn't hasn't been too great lately. The last thought on my mind has been my birthday, and I hadn't thought of it in years up until I had to place in a date for the Time Capsule to send me back to. Can you believe I didn't realize I'd turn 28 till that point?" interrupted Trunks, ending his words with a humorless chuckle.

Watching as Trunks rubbed the palms of his hands over his eyes while he shook his head back and forth to prevent tears from falling, Goku got up and rushed over to his side, pulling a chair over so that he could more easily embrace him.

"Trunks, shh, it's okay. I understand," whispered Goku as he threaded his fingers in Trunks hair, guiding his head to his chest, "You have greater priorities plaguing you right now; no one would fault you for forgetting."

Eventually Trunks' crying subsided; his cheeks flushed red as Goku reached down and wiped the tears from them. Speaking into Goku's chest, Trunks whispered, "I'm sorry. Believe it or not, I'm not really one to cry, despite already having done it twice in the past hour. I don't even know how I'm alive right now Goku. I survived my entire life with those damned androids terrorizing everyone's lives, I kept going even after Gohan was killed, even I myself was killed and brought back! I thought I could handle anything the universe sent my way, but…"

Trunks didn't finish as his breathing started to become haggard, sensing another wave of tears, Goku concluded that they should move to a more remote location as he noticed some of the restaurants staff giving them disapproving looks. Whether they were because of Trunks not being able to hold in his anguish or because of the way in which Goku was embracing them—he was shocked that homophobia was an issue on a planet who's existence is constantly threatened—it didn't matter he wanted to get them out of there soon. Releasing Trunks, Goku rummaged for the amount of money their meal totaled out to, leaving a few hundred zenni's on the table before standing and pulling Trunks by the hand with him. They made their way outside where Goku decided he'd rather not drive. '_Although flying in this condition wouldn't be ideal either_' he thought.

Suddenly, he felt two of the ki's that were previously at Capsule Corp were now at the lookout. Feeling a sudden sense of anxiety, Goku debated his options. '_Fuck, Trunks needs to go somewhere he can calm down right now, but I don't want to cause any unnecessary drama for him by showing up and having Piccolo try and kick me out. Trunks doesn't even know why he hates me.' _Feeling Trunks looking at him with such sorrow written not only clear across his face, but shadowing his energy, Goku decided it was worth the risk. '_It'll be quiet there, and I know for a fact that Dende and Piccolo will give Trunks all the time he needs to calm down without getting the others involved. Guess that's it then._'

With a tighter grip on Trunks hand, and a quick look to make sure Trunks' condition was still alright, Goku transmitted them both over.

**A/N**: How do I explain being away for exactly one year? Well, I had a complete change of heart on the path I wanted to take this story. I didn't see the characters in the same light that made me want to write it in the first place. All within a few weeks time of uploading that last chapter too! Coincidentally, today I decided I wanted to re-read what I'd written, and it made me feel like continuing. So to all of you who sent me messages detailing how you enjoy my work so far and wish me to continue, thank you so, so much, I greatly appreciate it, I'll be writing with you all in mind. Till next time!


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